“I fucked up”: the movie that Christopher Walken said should have been his best
Every time Christopher Walken arrives in a scene, he effortlessly captures the attention of the audience. The New York-born actor possesses an unrivalled magnetism and acting prowess that has afforded him a reputation as one of American cinema’s all-time greatest icons.
After coming into public prominence with his Academy Award-winning performance in Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter, Walken went on to become a true hero of Hollywood with further efforts in the likes of True Romance, Pulp Fiction, Man on Fire, Catch Me If You Can and Seven Psychopaths.
Many consider Walken’s effort in Abel Ferrara’s 1990 neo-noir crime film King of New York to be amongst the actor’s most memorable efforts, but interestingly, Walken himself believes that he did not deliver his best work in the film also starring Laurence Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, David Caruso and Steve Buscemi.
In an interview with Total Film, Walken once admitted, “It should have been my best work, but I fucked up.” In fact, Walken was so disappointed with his effort that he only ended up watching the film twice, not being able to stand the fact he “didn’t give Frank enough complexity and perspective.”
King of New York sees Walken play Frank White, a New York City drug lord who seeks to rebuild his criminal empire after being released from prison. Frank also has loose desires to go legitimate but finds himself being dragged into old score from his life and the constant allure of the crime underworld.
Going on to explain his dissatisfaction with his performance, Walken noted, “You don’t see enough anguish in his face and the things that drive him to do what he does.” With another chance to play Frank again, Walken would have “completely altered [his] performance” and portrayed his character in a different light.
Despite his own damnation, on the whole the consensus is that Walken actually gave a good effort in King of New York, which left the actor feeling “flattered” but “not satisfied” in his own work. “Both myself and the director, Abel Ferrara, worked hard at creating a mysterious edge to Frank’s personality but we lost his motivation and a sense of where he was coming from,” he said. “So I’m disappointed by what comes off on the screen.”
In working with Ferrara, Walken collaborated with a director who has garnered a reputation for being somewhat difficult to work with. However, Walken knows the filmmaker of Bad Lieutenant well, so when he gets “very pumped up and frantic and goes off on a rampage on the set”, he can “understand” and forgive him.
It’s Ferrara’s “energy” that Walken understands needs to be used in order to bring the best of out a cast and crew during a film’s production. “He’s made a choice to live on the edge and that’s part of what makes all of his films so interesting,” Walken explained. “He goes through a lot of pain and angst – you appreciate how he’s struggling to get a certain kind of emotional tension up there on the screen.”
While King of New York certainly stands out as one of the most memorable moments from the career of Walken, the actor found himself disappointed with his on-screen effort. His honest acknowledgement highlights the high standards he sets for his performances and explains why he’s given so many magnificent ones throughout his career.